


In Each Other

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-12
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-05 01:39:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/717394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They are making the most of their recovery time</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer** \--Arakawa owns all  
>  **Timeline/Spoilers** \-- post 108  
>  **Warning** \-- some potty mouth bits but nothing really worse than that  
>  **Author’s Note** \-- **Notes** : For the 2012-2013 fmabigbang. This time it’s in reverse, with me basing my story off kriem’s beautiful art. Thanks to evil_little_dog for the beta and to bay115 for the help along the way and to enemyofsleep for hosting this again.

_“The minute I heard my first love story,_  
I started looking for you, not knowing  
how blind that was.  
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.  
They're in each other all along.” – Rumi 

Chapter One

Autumn had begun, but Riza could barely tell. She almost regretted the high collar of her shirt as the warm air blew over her form, wafting up from the lake. She had kicked off her shoes, the long grass tickling her toes. If she could, she would freeze this moment forever. She and Roy had so little time to themselves that it was hard to imagine the past two weeks. Her grandfather was taking over in Central and eventually would want them back there, but he had been more than happy to turn a blind eye and okay her time off to recuperate from the wounds she received at the hands of the goldtoothed doctor and his allies. Roy needed to heal as well, his sight improving every day since Marcoh had treated him. 

 

[](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/DocDana/WorkR_zpsc06eb641.png) (Art by Kriem)

In the chaos, they felt no need to fake alibis for where they were going. His aunt hadn’t left the country like she had promised – Roy should have known better – and had given them the use of one of her properties: a small cottage on a lake in the northern reaches, just past Central. It was nearly deserted at this time of year and she and Roy had slipped away with no more details than “on medical leave.” With everything going on, who would miss them?

With his hands, still a bit swollen from all they had been through, resting on his chest and his head cradled in her lap as he cloud watched, Roy looked younger than he was. Riza couldn’t remember the last time he had looked so relaxed. It might even have been when he was still an apprentice and they had stolen moments together, much more innocent moments than the ones they’d been stealing for the past several days.

She covered his hands with hers. “We could stay here forever.”

Roy sighed softly. “That would be nice.”

Could it be? Had she really heard some hesitation in his voice? “Until…”

“You get tired of me, which would happen quickly. Then there’d be just one lovely lady in the cottage and one well-weighted corpse at the bottom of the lake.” Roy grinned.

Riza laughed. “It probably wouldn’t be _that_ bad.” She thought for a moment, then added, “Unless you plan on never getting another job and being underfoot constantly like Hayate.”

Roy reached over and rubbed her leg. “I might be. You don’t know.”

“I know I have a gun and know how to use it.” She ran her finger through his hair. “And you’d get bored within a month. You’re already getting antsy here.”

He went even more boneless against her. “Not so,” he lied.

Riza leaned down and kissed his forehead. “It’s all right. I am, too. We like working.”

“I like being here with you with nothing to do but relax,” Roy replied. “I _miss_ working even if everyone thinks I’m lazy.”

“You let them and you don’t like paperwork.”

“If you want to work for someone who enjoys it, may I suggest transferring into Colonel Whitehurst’s office? He loves generating paperwork.” Roy grinned up at her.

Riza pretended to mull that over, tapping her chin. “Does he do it on time without someone having to threaten him?”

“I believe he does.”

“Should you be tempting me?”

Roy rolled over, catching her around the waist. He hiked up her shirt with two fingers, kissing the bared swath of skin. “Depends on the kind of tempting you mean?”

She stole another kiss. “I'll allow that kind of tempting.”

“Oh, good.” Roy got on his knees, pushing her back against the grass. Rather awkwardly, he managed to stretch out over her. His tender hands made supporting his weight dicey so Riza flipped her overly-ambitious-and-refusing-to-admit-to-his-current-limits lover onto his back. She pressed her lips to his, his tongue pushing past all defenses to explore her mouth.

Warmed by the sun and surrounded by the sweet scent of grass and autumn flowers, Riza could wish for only one more thing: more transportable condoms. The tins were bulky and it wasn't as if Roy could put a tin in a pocket. She supposed they would have wrapped one in foil or something and risk puncturing it. Someone needed to invent a better way because she wanted to enjoy the hardness she felt against her hip without having to get up and stagger back to the cottage.

Still, amazing things could be – and were - done with lips and hands, leaving them sprawled, half naked by the end, in the crushed grass. Riza really hoped the lake was as deserted as she thought or someone was going to get an eye full. Roy, ever the exhibitionist, probably wouldn't mind. She would die of mortification but even that did not make her want to hurry and redress. Too sated, too comfortable in the sunlight, Riza planned to linger, no matter what.

 

XXX

“It's almost a pity that it's too warm to warrant a fire,” Riza said, snuggled into the couch while Roy puttered in the cottage's kitchen. He hadn’t been able to raise a radio station – he did like his music – but he had planned for their rural location and its inaccessibility to modern devices like the radio. He'd brought a phonograph and Central's symphony serenaded them in some concerto Riza couldn't begin to identify. “Setting a nice fire _is_ one of your strengths.”

Roy glanced over at her from across the open floor plan, looking a bit befuddled as if he wasn't sure she had complimented him or if that was a subtle dig. “Not so warm to make hot chocolate out of place.” He lifted the chocolate pot, something she recognized from his aunt's parlor. 

“Chocolate is never out of place, Roy. I thought you knew that.”

“I suspected it. What I thought I knew has been greatly challenged as of late,” he replied affably as he put the sugar bowl on the tray with the cups. The bitter chocolate would require it.

“That's an understatement.”

Roy came over with the tray and sat with her on the soft, comfortable couch. He poured the thick chocolate into a cup for her. The smell was amazing. Riza fixed it with sugar and put a dash of cinnamon in it, not at all surprised that Roy had the spice on the tray. He knew her so well. 

“I could call my aunt and see if we can stay longer,” he said.

“That would be nice, but we're supposed to start back on light duty a few hours a day,” she replied.

“We could probably get the full leave extended.” Roy sighed. “I knew I should have had Knox fake my death for me. He has access to all kinds of corpses.”

“Now there's a cheery thought and just how would you become Fuhrer if you're dead?” Riza arched an eyebrow at him, blowing across her cup of chocolate to cool it.

He shrugged, taking a sip of his own. “It's just that I like playing house with you. We should be able to have this life _all_ the time." A thoughtful expression passed over his face. "There is an alternative to faking my death.”

“I'm listening.”

“I could retire and you become the general,” he grinned and she was glad he had suggested his own retirement since they had had fights over her doing the same. “You become Fuhrer and I'll be the first man.”

 

“And what would you be doing in the meantime while I claw my way to the top?”

“Hmmm, I could become a teacher,” he said, and she couldn’t hold in the bark of laughter. Roy pouted.

Riza kissed away a spot of chocolate on those pouting lips. Roy could manage to make a pout look somehow sexy – well sometimes. Others she just wanted to shoot the melodramatic fool. “I can see Alphonse Elric as a teacher, a very good one. Falman would be the professor who knows everything and thinks he's explaining when he’s really not. You and Edward would make frightening teachers. You're far too impatient.”

“Fine,” Roy huffed. “I'll tend bar for my aunt.”

“Yes, that's my dream life. I work in the military all day while my husband is out carousing with scantily dressed beauties all night.”

“So long as I come home to you, it's not a problem.”

“That is such a man's answer.” Riza rolled her eyes.

“I'm afraid that's the only kind I can give.” Roy laughed. “Besides, my aunt is there and she's almost as quick with her gun as you are. The worst part of it would be me straggling home smelling of cigarettes and spilled booze.”

“No, the worst is when your aunt knows you're wasted slinging drinks and turns you into one of her spies and you spend every night huddled up with generals' wives trying to get information.”

Roy shuddered. “I've seen some of those wives, no thank you. I always did pity my sisters, having to cozy up to some of those men. All right then, I don't retire until I find suitable employment.”

“So we have to make the most of our last night here.”

“I already have that planned out complete with toys.” Roy's eyes danced. “And I have arranged for a suite at the Madam's new hotel, penthouse.”

“She did buy that eight story hotel, then?”

He nodded. “I figure we can use that as a meeting place since we'll still have a lot of spare time and we'll have guests.”

Him arranging a place they could call their own for a little while longer didn't surprise Riza. Guests did. “Oh?”

“I'll tell you later. Just a little something else to help pass the time when I'm not working. I can't stay naked all the time,” he smirked.

“No, but I'm sure you'll try.” Riza sipped her chocolate before kissing him. “Starting right now.”

He grinned back and started unbuttoning his shirt.


	2. chapter 2

Chapter Two

“I don't like my brother staying here. It's the third floor,” Ed grumbled, pacing around the suite and apparently finding everything wrong wit hit.

Roy considered chucking him out the window but Riza might frown on that. “There's nothing wrong with this room.”

“I like it,” Alphonse agreed, but Roy hadn't missed the young teen had also liked the girls he had spotted working downstairs.

“What if there's a fire? He couldn't use the elevator then. He _does_ have a broken ankle. He can't hobble downstairs on his crutches.”

“For one, I'll be staying here myself most of the time and if a fire broke out, I'm pretty sure I can handle it. Two, unlike you, your brother can still do alchemy and he could make himself a slide right out the window. You're just grouchy because _I'm_ the one providing the room,” Roy replied and Miss Rockbell rolled her eyes. Apparently this was not the first time Edward had been accused of it.

Edward's cheeks reddened. “Is this even a hotel? Those girls down in the hotel bar didn't look like bar maids.”

Roy laughed. “Since when have you become an expert on bar maids? Have you even been in a bar before today?”

“You _know_ what I mean. My brother doesn't need to be around those kinds of women.”

“Brother!” Alphonse barked, his own face going red.

“Those women are my sisters, Edward,” Roy replied.

Ed snorted. “There were women of every kind and color down there and not one looked like you.”

“I'm adopted. Most everyone here is. The owner of the bar -,”

“The big woman?” Edward interrupted.

“Yes, is my aunt, my dad's sister. I wasn't going to put you anyplace unsavory. Well, maybe _you_ Edward, but not Alphonse or Miss Rockbell. Madam Christmas runs a hostess club, so you would be better off not going down in the bar for too long and for all you know, your brother might enjoy having the girls wait on him hand and foot because they would.”

Alphonse went red to his hair line and crossed his crutches in front of his face.   
“Besides, you'll be one floor up, you and Miss Rockbell, so what harm could come to Alphonse?”

“Both of us? In the same room?” Miss Rockbell asked, finally finding a way to get a word in edgewise around her boyfriend, or Roy assumed they were an item.

“I wasn't sure if you were ready for that,” and he didn't want anyone saying he was contributing to the delinquency of a minor, not that he was sure Fullmetal qualified as one. He was of age surely by now, but in Roy’s mind Ed was still thirteen. For that matter in his mind, Roy was still twenty-nine. Ugh, where did the years go? “Two rooms. What happens when I'm not looking, I’m not worrying about.”

Winry blushed. All three of them were red; maybe Resemboolers were easily embarrassed or maybe after growing up with his aunt he just had no sense of decency. 

“Shut up, bastard.”

“The point is, Alphonse is not alone here, ever. My aunt lives here full time and if you ever need help, Alphonse, you can ask her. She might like having a young man to pamper. It's been a long time since she's had that chance.”

“I'm sure it'll be fine, sir. Brother has been imagining worst case scenarios ever since I've been back,” Alphonse replied.

“All right, then let me show your brother and Miss Rockbell to their rooms and while they're settling in, I can come back and help you get settled, Alphonse.”

“You can call me, Winry, sir,” Miss Rockbell said, looking a bit more composed.

“Winry, don't let him get informal. If you knew his reputation....” Edward shook his head.

“While Winry is a beautiful woman, she is a bit young for me,” Roy smiled. “But you can call me Roy, all of you.”

“You already have a name, bastard,” Edward replied and Roy sighed. He hoped his sisters wouldn't hear that. They'd be too amused. “And my brother doesn't need your help. I'll come help him. Besides, are you even allowed to be lifting things yet?”

“It's been weeks.” Roy looked at his scarred, painful hands. “No, not really I'm not and are you?”

“Part of my therapy.” Edward jerked a thumb at Winry as if to suggest she was the one who had laid out his regime.

“I'll help Al. It's no trouble,” she agreed.

Nodding, Roy took them upstairs where their belongings had already been brought by some of his more industrious siblings. He let them sort themselves out and returned to Alphonse's room. He wasn't tremendously surprised to see Alphonse sitting on the bed with a pile of hangers as he emptied the suitcase. Roy took the shirts Alphonse had already hung and put them in the closet.

“When you called me about this venture, you didn't mention you broke your leg.”

“Ed was in the room. He feels guilty about it,” came the surprising reply. Roy turned to the young man, eyebrows raised. Alphonse shrugged. “We were goofing around and I fell off the porch. Granny said it was only a matter of time any how. My bone density is poor from being...” His face paled a bit. “Over there.”

Roy nodded. “That's too bad. Is there a cure for that?”

“Exercise, which is hard to get with Ed trying to baby me.”

Roy snorted. “I can't imagine that.” He took the next shirt from Alphonse. Just how many did the boy have? Why wasn't he more surprised that Alphonse would be a clotheshorse, as if he had any room to talk? “I mean he's always been very protective of you, but he doesn't seem like the type to cater to anyone.”

“Probably only because he knocked me off the porch. So, this set of books I heard about,” Alphonse changed the subject.

Roy sat on the opposite side of the bed. “Yes, I'm very curious. A set of books from Xing, here in Central?”

Alphonse nodded. “Mei said they comprise of a set of Xingese alkahestry tomes and an accompanying set of translations done by the Great Sage of the West. She said he brought them back here and rumors have it, they ended up in the possession of a collector of rare books. I guess that's better than the Library because they'd be gone otherwise.” His gold eyes lit up. “Can you believe it? A set of books translated by my father who knows how many centuries ago. Well, I guess the Xingese know, but you know what I mean.

“I still find it fascinating about your father.” Back when his sight was still gone and his hands inflamed and excruciatingly painful, Roy had opted to sit with Alphonse in his hospital room. The young man had readily shared his father's story. “How did you even find out about this collector?”

“Brother and I decided that we wanted to continue studying alchemy and alkahestry even if he couldn't do it any more. Mei mentioned this collector to me. I think she wanted the books back for herself, but when she realized that the Sage was Hohenheim she thought I should have them. It would mean a lot to me to have something of Father's.”

“Yes, I suppose you did torch everything else.”

“Not everything.” Al leaned toward Roy conspiratorially. “I saved a few of his journals and hid them in Granny's attic. I haven't been back up there to get them. Ed doesn't know yet. I was planning to surprise him on his birthday with them.”

“He'd like that. I'll be glad to help you get these journals back. Of course none of us might be able to read them. The language would be archaic,” Roy said.

“I know, but between the three of us we should be able to make some headway. Can you read the Xingese? It occurs to me that Dad's translation might even be in Xerxerian which is a dead language.”

“Ishvalan is derived from it and I might be able to help. Hawkeye's father had some Xerxerian texts. He claims part of Ishbalan heritage went back to that dynasty. I had to learn to read some of it.”

“I didn't know that. You'll be really helpful then. I figured you might be interested. You've helped us before after all, even though I was never really sure why you did that unless Ed was right.”

“That I did it just because I wanted his power?” Roy smirked and Al rolled his eyes.

“You heard him say that?”

“He said it to my face more than once in briefings. I won't lie to you. He's not wrong. I'd be a fool to pass up on that power,” Roy admitted, not feeling the least bit ashamed of that.

Al scowled. “But it's more than that. You could have gotten in trouble covering up what we did.”

“A whole lot of it, you better believe it. But I felt sorry for you and I did understand why you did what you did.”

“How could you?”

The sound of Ed's voice dragged both of their attention to the door. Winry was already inside the room and Ed leaned on the door frame, as if daring Roy to answer.

“My aunt raised me, Edward. My parents were murdered when I was four. There is an inherent danger to the family business. I do understand the urge to want to have your family back at any cost. But you two and Winry have it worse. You were old enough to remember your parents. I have only vague memories of my own. I have always lived with my aunt and her girls as far as my memories are concerned.”

Ed's face softened a bit. “I didn't know what.”

“I'm sorry, sir,” Alphonse added.

“Thank you, it was all long ago.”

“You don't have to tell us that. We know you're old,” Ed replied.

Roy's shoulders sagged. “I'm never the right age. Only a teenager like you could think I'm old. Everyone else is screaming I’m too young to be promoted to general.”

“Wait? They're promoting you? For what? Everything I did on the Promised Day?” Ed huffed, glaring at Roy.

“Brother, we would never have won without Roy and his men and you know it. He got all his men and General Armstrongs on our side, not to mention General Grumman.”

“My aunt helped with all of that, too,” Roy said.

“She's a spy isn't she?” Alphonse asked.

“After a fashion, yes. She prefers information broker. My father was like Hughes, in information. Hmm, never thought about it before, but he'd have been the same age as Maes when he died.” Roy frowned, feeling that helpless rage boiling up in him. He still should have killed Envy himself. It wasn't crossing a line no matter what anyone said. “I was only a few months older than Elicia when I lost my dad.”

“That's very sad,” Winry said.

“And you should know, having lost yours, too. Well, regardless of what you think about my promotion, Edward, you're invited to the party my friends are throwing me.”

“Didn't know you had any friends outside of Hughes and he said you were a potty-mouthed bastard.”

“I think he might have been talking about you both, Brother,” Alphonse put in, eyeing his elder sibling.

“No doubt and he wasn't wrong and I have friends. This is why I asked you to pack a set of dress clothes,” Roy said.

“Alphonse brought enough for me and him.” Ed rolled his eyes, taking the pants Alphonse had put on hangers and put them in the closet. “And I said you didn't need to help Al.”

“It was no big deal and Alphonse did not bring anything for you, Edward. His clothing all has style and flare, something you do not possess,” Roy said. Al beamed, Ed glowered and Winry just shook her head. 

“Bite me, jackass. Oh hey, that'll work. General Jackass, it's almost alliterative.” Ed flashed his signature huge, scary smile.

“Oh Ed,” Winry sighed.

"It's all right. It's exactly what I expect of Edward." Roy waved her off.

Winry's eyes narrowed as she turned on Edward and Roy tried not to smile. He knew exactly who wore the pants in this relationship. 

"What we need is a little help with the collector, Roy," Al said. "He didn't seem too excited about letting us see the book."

"Ah, I can see what I can do," he replied, thinking more along the lines of what his aunt's influence and reach could do for them. "What's his name?"

"Walter Tarr," Ed said. "Mean anything to you."

"No, but I'll see what I can do. I'll let you guys get settled. I'll be downstairs for a while if you need anything." Roy got up then paused. "Oh, you may see Hawkeye around here. Please keep it to yourself."

"Why would she be here?" Ed asked and Roy gave him a look. Ed flushed. "Oh, here I was hoping she had better taste."

"Edward," Winry hissed, elbowing him. "We won't tell anyone, sir."

"Yeah, we actually _like_ Hawkeye. We wouldn't want her in trouble," Edward added.

"Glad to hear it." Roy headed for the door, already mulling over the possibilities of these new alchemy books. He could look them over, still have time to be with Riza and put in a few hours at work. He'd be busy enough but not so busy that he'd waste his time with Riza by reading alchemy tomes. Okay, who was he kidding? He'd get caught up in the alchemy and she'd be knocking his head against the wall. He'd have to remember to bring an alarm clock or something to help monitor the time in the loudest most obnoxious way. That in mind, Roy headed to talk to Aunt Chris. If this Tarr fellow was wealthy enough to collect rare books, she might know who he was and what his weaknesses were. It was a place to start at any rate.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Are they settled?" Riza asked, peering into his aunt's office. She had stopped off at her apartment to change out her uniform for a soft green dress that reminded Roy of the grass around the cottage they had shared.

Chris beckoned her in. "You might recognize the name," his aunt said, severely lacking any segue into the topic of conversation.

"They're upstairs. Ed refuses to settle," Roy replied. "And she means Walter Tarr. He's the book collector who has the alchemy texts Alphonse wants, but I know your father never mentioned him."

Riza gave him the look that said he was such an idiot. "They both knew Mrs. Jeter." Riza sat in one of the madam's leather chairs. 

Roy shot her a perplexed look. Mrs. Jeter? The name sounded vaguely familiar. "Who?"

"Jeter, the bookseller. She had an arrangement with Father to pull anything that remotely looked like alchemy or Aerugian poetry," Riza said, pouring herself a glass of applejack from the crystal decanter Chris had on her desk. She swirled the golden liquor in her glass before taking a sip.

Roy stared at her as if she'd suddenly grown a third eye. He didn’t know what shocked him more; that he had never known this, or that his Master had collected poetry.

"Told you she'd know." Chris sat back, her lips pulling into a smirk around her cigarette holder.

"Poetry?"

"Mom loved it." Riza shrugged. "I'm not sure that Mr. Tarr would remember me."

"It's better than nothing. Alphonse said that the man was reluctant to let them see the alchemy tomes. Do you think you could give the man a call? Maybe he'll do it for old time's sake," Roy said.

Riza wrinkled her nose, a dubious expression veiling her face. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"If it doesn't work, then I'll send on of the girls to sniff around." Chris sent a cloud of smoke skywards.

"Thanks, Auntie. It's a good start. I don't want to disappoint Alphonse."

"Not to mention you can't wait to look at a new alchemy book." Riza rolled her eyes.

Chris snorted, smoke billowing out of her nostrils. "It's always that way with him."

“I think it’s all the same for every alchemist. I have no doubt Edward and Alphonse are upstairs salivating over the books while Winry is sitting there giving them the stink eye,” Riza replied, a small smile tugging the corners of her mouth up.

“And on that thinly veiled insult, I have things planned for this evening. If you’d like to come with me, m’lady,” Roy said, bowing his head to Riza.

“Are you living in a fairy tale tonight, my prince?” Riza’s grin broadened.

“With another princess if this one doesn’t work out and appreciate my flare.” Roy smirked.

“He’s touchy. Good luck to you.” Chris laughed.

“She’s known me most of my life. She knows what she’s getting.” Roy shrugged. “Edward thinks Riza is out of her mind.”

“He finally figured us out?” 

“I told them to ignore the fact that you may be here. It was a clue.” Roy got up, extending a hand to her. 

Laughing, Riza took it. “I’ll confess, you have me interested, prince.”

“If you keep calling him that, it’ll go to his head,” Chris warned.

“What doesn’t?” Riza wanted to know.

“Seriously, I could throw a stick in here and hit a woman who wouldn’t tease me so much.”

“Not in this bar.” Chris laughed harder.

“I better go with him now, Madam, before he digs the hole any deeper.” Riza joined arms with him.

“That’s for the best,” his aunt agreed.

Roy huffed at them before leading Riza to the elevator. He thought it was one of the finest aspects of his aunt’s newest place. Their brass doors decorated every floor and were beautiful, decorated with filigreed ivy and roses. Chris had them so polished, they could blind a person at midday.

“So what do you have planned?” Riza leaned into his touch as the elevator headed up.

“Patience.” Roy grinned at her and she hip bumped him.

The elevator stopped earlier than expected. The doors slid back to reveal Alphonse, waiting there on his crutches.

“Oh, I pushed the wrong button. I wanted to go down.” He offered up a lopsided grin.

“Escaping?” Roy asked.

Alphonse bobbed his head. “I had to. Ed and Winry are bickering over…well, I can’t figure out what. I think over me because I wanted to go downstairs. Ed said no. Winry said why not and I figured this would be the best way to handle it.”

“Come for the ride. It’ll just confuse Edward if he stops arguing long enough to notice you’re gone.” Roy stepped back after pushing the first floor button.

Alphonse hobbled in. “Thanks.” His eyes shifted to Riza as if he was wondering if he were interrupting something.

“When you get downstairs, ask for Vanessa and Lilirose. Vanessa will take good care of you and I think you’ll like Lilirose. She’s just a few years older than you,” Roy said.

Al’s eyes sparkled. “Really? I’m looking forward to meeting them.”

“Tell them to set you up with a meal. Just keep in mind, there’s a fine point between looking like a poor injured boy who needs pampering and looking needy.”

Al blushed. “I wasn’t planning on doing that,” he protested as the elevator ground to a halt.

Roy clamped a hand on Al’s shoulder. “You should. Pampering can be fun.”

“Roy, don’t warp the boy. Alphonse is a gentleman,” Riza said, slapping his back. “Don’t turn him into you.”

“Why not?” The doors slid open. “He’ll have fun. Seriously, Alphonse, talk to Vanessa and Lilirose.”

“I’ll do that.”

Roy led Riza out, not feeling at all bad that he tried to guide Alphonse into a little fun. He pushed the injured young man out of mind as he walked down the short hall to one of the two penthouse suites. Al could take care of himself. Roy unlocked the door, almost holding his breath. He hoped Riza liked the grand gesture. He had set it all up just before going to his aunt’s office.

The lights in the suite were down low and the phonograph set up to repeat the album of one of Riza’s favorite composers. She wasn’t into flowers all that much but, oddly, he was. His aunt’s influence, no doubt. Several arrangements of roses – his favorite – and other blossoms dotted the room. On the dining room table were domed plates and tureens along with a bottle of wine that he had opened to breathe.

“I saw no reason our time at the cottage had to end now that we’re here. So, do you remember Quinn’s?”

“How could I forget?” Riza went over, running a hand over one silver dome. “Is this really from Quinn’s?”

“I hope I remembered your favorites.”

“I have no doubts.” She lifted the lid off the tureen, her eyes lighting up. “Their beer and cheese soup! That’s all you had to do to get right.”

“So, I shall go get the play box out right now?”

“Dinner first, sir. I’m predicting that our three young guests might come calling, especially if Alphonse doesn’t find Lilirose.”

“Or worse, if he does find her and Edward finds Alphonse with her on his lap. Edward will be knocking our door down to yell at me for corrupting his brother.” Roy snorted.

“I have a gun.” Riza smiled.

“That’s my girl.” Roy pulled her close, kissing her.

“So fancy dinner, a little dancing,” she pointed to the phonograph, “and then more dancing.”

He beamed. “All night long was my plan.”

Riza took his hand. “I trust you to be as good as your plan.”

Roy smirked. “I usually am.”


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Roy yawned prodigiously. He had made good on his boast. All night long and a good part of the morning with cat naps in between. Walking might be a bit problematic, a reminder he wasn’t Edward’s age any more. Of course, Edward’s age was wasted on him, but judging by the glares Edward kept favoring him with and Alphonse’s tired eyes, youth wasn’t wasted on Alphonse. Roy snuggled down in the soft padded chair next to the fireplace in his aunt’s bar.

“Are you just going to lie around all day?” Edward asked

“Alphonse, how did your brother escape his suite?” Roy stretched his legs out.

“He’s tricky.” Alphonse put his foot up on the ottoman.

“It’s too early in the morning for your garbage, Mustang.” Ed sat on the hearth. “This place smells like smoke.”

“It’s a bar and weren’t you just accusing me of lying around all day?”

“Do you know what my brother did last night?” Ed bowled on, ignoring Roy.

“I’m hoping he came downstairs, had a good meal and met up with some of the girls.” Roy glanced over at Alphonse. “Judging by those tired eyes, he did. Either that or he was up all night in pain with his broken ankle.”

Edward’s face fell and Roy knew he had hit some nerve he hadn’t known existed.

“I came down and talked with Lilirose. It was a nice evening,” Alphonse said quickly, casting a quick glance at his brother. 

“Well, I’m glad. Where’s Winry, Edward?”

“She disappeared into the back with one of those girls.” Edward shrugged. “I’m not sure I want to know what they’re up to.”

“Probably making us breakfast, so be nice. And I haven’t been lying around all morning,” Roy said. No, what he and Riza had been up to definitely couldn’t be called restful. “As it turns out, Mr. Tarr was friends with Hawkeye’s father. She’s calling him now. Hopefully, she can get him to agree to let us come see the books, maybe even buy them from him. If not, I have a backup plan.”

“This would be so much easier if he just talked to us.” Ed rubbed his shoulder. Roy didn’t doubt there was residual pain in the restored limb, judging by his own alchemically healed hands. There probably would always be some pain.

“Some collectors are very protective of their collections,” Roy replied.

“What is the backup plan, sir?” Alphonse asked.

“To see if one of my sisters can work her feminine wiles on him.”

“Depraved, figures.” Ed snorted.

Roy narrowed his eyes at him. “Do you want to see the books or not, Edward?”

“We want to _own_ them,” he countered.

“I can’t promise that, but I can at least do my best to get you time with them.”

Alphonse sighed. “It would be easier if we could just say our dad wrote them, but who would believe that? They’re hundreds of years old and we can’t really say, well, you see our father was a living Philosopher’s Stone. We can’t even say we’re the descendants of the Great Sage of the West because there’s no proof of it.”

Roy nodded. He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the origins of the boys’ father. “That is unfortunate. I can do this much for you. My aunt and sisters trade in information. I can have them look around for other things dealing with the Golden Alchemist, the Great Sage of the West and any other names he might have used,” Roy said, seeing how much it would mean to Alphonse. He was less sure about Edward, but Roy had no doubt that the elder brother would never be accused of being sentimental.

“Paracelsus, that’s another name he told me he used.” Alphonse’s eyes brightened. “Thank you, sir.”

“You can thank Lilirose later. That might be fun.”

“Shut it,” Edward rumbled.

“Edward, just go and take all the attention you’re showering on your brother and give it to Winry. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it more.”

“Thank you, Roy,” Winry called, leaning in the doorway. Edward flushed, obviously realizing she heard what Roy said. “Your aunt says to come on through to the private dining room. Breakfast is ready.” 

“What’s for breakfast?” Roy got up, stretching. Edward helped his brother up.

“Better question is who cooked it,” Edward grumbled.

Winry’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have something to say, Edward?”

To his credit, Roy didn’t snicker at the stricken look on Edward’s face as he realized he’d stepped in it. The boy was learning, but undoubtedly, like Roy, Elric’s mouth would be his own worst enemy always. 

“Just curious. You know me.” Edward tried to play it off. Alphonse rolled his eyes and moved away from his brother before things started to fly. Roy had heard Winry stories.

“It was a collaborative effort,” Winry replied, her face pinched with annoyance.

“Riza and my aunt aren’t very good cooks either. Better hope a sister had a hand in it,” Roy whispered to the brothers. Edward snorted. Alphonse wisely kept his own counsel as he hobbled toward the dining room.

Roy didn’t know what to expect, almost hoping for cereal. It was hard to mess that up. He was a fairly good cook, out of self-defense, having grown up in the Mustang and Hawkeye households. When he entered the room, Roy eyed the pancakes on the plates. “Smells good,” he admitted.

“They are,” Chris said. “Winry can cook.”

“I know Gracia taught Winry her coveted apple pie recipe. Elicia must have told me three times,” Roy said, noticing Riza wasn’t around. He hoped that was a good sign about the phone call.

“Winry makes a great apple pie,” Alphonse agreed, sitting down to a pile of pancakes.

“Thanks, Al.” Winry beamed, setting another plate of pancakes in front of Edward.

Chris handed Roy his plate and the women joined them for breakfast. The pancakes tasted as good as they smelled. Roy wanted to wait until Riza joined them but cold pancakes weren’t good pancakes. Besides, he had a secret weakness for maple syrup, soaking his pancakes in it. Riza knew that weakness well. Hmmm, could he sneak the bottle upstairs without Edward asking an insane amount of questions? Of course, taunting Edward with the answers could be fun.

“I spoke to Mr. Tarr.” Riza’s voice jerked Roy out of his happy food fetish daydreams, dragging his attention to the doorway.

“He’s going to let us see the books?” Edward asked with enthusiasm.

“Yes and no. He refuses to allow you into his home.” Riza came in and sat beside Roy. “He’s turned into quite the paranoid man. He will let me see the books as the daughter of his old friend.

Ed stabbed a pancake, his face curdling with his mood. “What good does that do us? Can you even read an alchemy journal?”

Riza laughed. “I was raised by an alchemist, Edward. I’m sure I could reproduce it accurately if I had to copy it, but he’s not letting _me_ in his house, either. He’s posting them to me here on the base, or should I say he’s sending them to Major Armstrong. After the last assassination attempt on the soon-to-be general,” she put a hand on Roy’s shoulder. “All our correspondence goes through Investigations.” 

Roy saw almost everyone’s face pinch at the reminder that if he hadn’t been gifted with clap alchemy, he’d have died within days of getting his sight back from an exploding package. Attempts on his life, Grumman’s and Olivier’s were expected and had already started. Luckily, they were smarter than their various enemies, most of them bitter Bradley supporters and a few emboldened Ishbalans who didn’t seem to like that their elders had helped overthrow Bradley and were working toward an accord with the new Amestrian government.

“But if he’s sending them to you, you could let us see them,” Edward pointed out, brightening.

“Naturally. So in a day or two, depending on how long it takes for him to post them and for Alex Louis’s men to clear the package, you’ll get your chance to see them. And, if you want to keep them, I could at least ask if he’s willing to sell,” Riza offered.

“Thank you, Lieutenant Hawkeye,” Alphonse said. “That’s great.”

“What do we do until then?” Edward asked.

“Edward, you’re in a town with a thousand things to do and with a lovely lady with which to do them. Go out and have fun,” Roy waved him off, eyeing that syrup bottle again. His aunt caught him and rolled her eyes.

“And what’s Alphonse going to do then?” Edward asked and Winry looked shocked that he seemed amiable to taking her out on the town.

“I’ll get Lilirose back down here and he can stay here and have fun,” Roy replied. Alphonse went red and Edward choked on his pancakes.

“What would you suggest we see?” Winry broke in before things could degenerate.

“There are the museums and several wonderful stores you might enjoy,” Riza offered. “Or the zoo or the arboretum.”

“I’m sure there are several good machine shops.” Winry’s eyes lit up.

Edward groaned.

“I have several trips planned out for visiting guests,” Chris said. “I’ll let you see the brochures.”

“And on that note, I have some things I need to talk over with Hawkeye.” Roy got up, picking up his plate, dropping his napkin “accidentally” over the syrup. He picked up the bottle with the cloth. “Just let me get these out of the way. And seriously, Alphonse, if your brother and Winry would like to tackle a few things on their own, Lilirose or any of the girls would be glad to go with you.”

“Thank you, si…Roy,” Alphonse said.

“Riza.” Roy nodded to the doorway and she went with him. Roy dumped his dishes and heard Edward bellyaching that the syrup had disappeared. Roy didn’t even remotely feel bad.

XXX

It was afternoon before they headed out into the summer sun. Riza was nearly unrecognizable in a red wig that sported long curls. It bothered him a little for her to have to hide. He wanted to be out and about with Riza how she was, but until then, he had to be happy with the moments they had together no matter how it was achieved. 

“So, what did you have planned?” She looped her arm with his.

“A nice walk through the park to start with,” he said, thinking about the surprise he had there. Either she’d love it or think he had lost his mind to the Gate along with his sight.

“All right, you have me intrigued.”

They didn’t need a lot of words as they walked. There always had been a soft comfort in the silence that stretched between them. That was all due to Riza. Roy was a talker, but in her company, he could be still. The park was filled with moms and their kids and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares. He’d buy her an ice cream cup later. 

He picked up their leisurely pace, hearing the off-key but bright music. Chris had told him the Flying Horses Roundabout had been fixed up while he and Riza had been out in the cottage. When she was younger, Riza had always wanted to go on a carousel, but there had been none nearby in the isolated woodland town she grew up in. There had never been money – or at least none Master Hawkeye wanted to free up – to go two towns over to the carnival there. Roy had tried once only to suffer a day's worth of rants about being a spendthrift and shirking his studies. Still, he had never forgotten she had wanted to go.

“Roy, is that what I think it is?” she asked when the gaily-colored carousel came into sight. Horses painted in fantastical colors, elaborate saddles on their backs and full curly manes strung with painted on ribbons flew around and around to the not-quite-up-to-snuff music.

“You always wanted to go for a carousel ride. I thought maybe you’d like to give it a try. We never had any out east, too frivolous, I guess.”

“You’ve taken leave of your senses,” she laughed. “How can we go on that ride?”

“You throw a leg over a horse,” he said, hoping he hadn’t just made an egregious lapse of judgment. “No one’s going to care we’re not there with our child. Lovers have been known to go for a ride or two.”

She kissed him. “You are insane.”

He smirked. That was a given. “So…you like the idea?” Why he felt so nervous, Roy couldn’t say. He wanted this to be whimsical and romantic because they had so few moments together that he wanted to make the most of them. He also wanted Riza to want to ride the carousel so he wouldn’t have to confess that he wanted to ride on a child’s ride.

“It’s one of the sweetest things you have ever done.” She kissed him again, long and slow and wholly inappropriate for a park filled with kids. “And I bet my horse beats yours.”

“Oh you’re on, but being a gentleman, I’ll let you have first pick.”

She snorted. “Gentleman? You probably still have syrupy sticky spots on you.”

“Hey, I showered.” Roy led her to the carousel and let Riza pick out her horse. The platform was slotted so the horses could move forward and backwards as well as up and down. 

She picked a magnificent black steed with a gold saddle, accepting his hand up onto it. That left him with either a white one with flowers in its mane or the one that looked like a pack horse and should be on a different carousel. He resigned himself to the hapless mule of the Flying Horse Roundabout. In the row ahead of them, twin boys thrashed their wooden horses with the leather reins while their tired mother looked ready to fall asleep on her horse.

“I’d have brought you at night,” he said, “more romantic, but well you know.” Roy shrugged. Riza knew as well as he that certain curfews were still enforced and parks were no-go after dark.

“It won’t last. You’ll have to bring me back.”

He smiled at her, looking forward to that. There were less obnoxious kids then, too. Roy considered the boys in front of him. One day he would like to have a few of his own - _hear that Maes?_ \- but with his luck, bratty twins would be in his future. At least he could hope to give them a better childhood than either he or Riza had enjoyed. Chris had tried her best, but her idea of motherhood was a bit skewed, and he’d been young when he’d been bundled off to Master Hawkeye’s. Chris might be a little left of center, but Hawkeye had been downright hopeless. For that matter, his and Riza’s adulthood had been marked with terror and sacrifice. Maybe that’s why he felt compelled to recapture that hint of innocence with a carousel ride.

The tinny music started and the horses shuddered to life. The twins whooped, standing in their stirrups, bouncing. Their mom ignored them, probably half hoping the wooden horses would turn carnivorous. Riza glanced over at Roy and he shrugged.

“You picked these horses,” he reminded her, his horse coming to a sudden stop before rolling backwards. Figures. As the carousel spun, Roy spotted the music’s problem, a blown bellow. His horse rallied toward the end and at least managed to beat the prissy white one. However, it managed to stop at the top of its arc and his feet dangled in air. Occasionally, he understood why Edward was so annoyed at being short. Roy jumped down to offer Riza a hand she didn’t need since her horse was at the bottom. Ahead of them the twins squalled, not wanting to get off.

“I don’t blame them. That was fun,” Riza said wistfully.

Roy glanced over to the gate, not seeing a line. “Pick another horse and I’ll get another set of tickets.”

He went over to the attendant and paid him. “I’m going to fix it for you, too.” Roy clapped his hands and repaired the bellows and a few other minor issues he sensed as the alchemy worked. Several loud ooo’s went up and the attendant gaped. Roy ignored him and hunted down Riza. She had a palomino with a circus plume on its head this time. Next to it was a Xingese tiger, looking irate to having been saddled.

“I thought you’d appreciate him.” Riza waved a hand at the tiger.

“Better than the mule.” He wasn’t quite right about that. The tiger was broader-backed and Roy was reminded he wasn’t ten any more. Damn, he was going to have to get back into stretching before he turned into an old man. At least there were no rambunctious twins this time. His tiger leapt forward as the music started, sounding much less like the instruments had a cold.

“Ah, so that’s what you did. I was wondering,” Riza said, smiling broadly.

“It was driving me nuts to hear that music so sad. We’re supposed to be helping to fix up the city so…” Roy shrugged. That was one of Grumman’s non-military initiatives. The plan was to bring an end to war where possible, fix up relations with their former enemies if possible - with certain Bradley supporters, those who had survived the Promised Day, being offered up to those who wanted to punish Amestris’s former leadership - and lastly, Grumman planned on making life less about war and more about living for his own people. Parks, natural and amusement, were high on the list of things to be restored. Circuses were already in motion, bringing some joy and distraction to the most war torn areas of Amestris.

This time the tiger won. Roy left the ride with Riza on his arm. He tugged her close. “So what do you say to an ice cream cup?”

“Does it have hot fudge?” Her eyes danced

“Nice, decadent. I approve.”

“And since you took care of dinner last night, I made reservations at the Xingese Palace for tonight.” Riza gave his hip a squeeze.

“This is why I love you.”

“You love me for a whole host of reasons,” Riza replied.

“True, each more compelling than the last.”

“And that’s why I love you,” she said. Who was he to argue?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 

“’Anna thought she heard something downstairs. Heart pounding, she snuck down the steps’.” Riza shifted on the bed, leaning against the headboard as she read.

Roy lifted his head off her lap, glancing up at her. “Wait, what? Anna knows there’s a murderer in town. She’s investigating it by sticking her nose into everyone’s business so clumsily my aunt would have killed her by now. Doesn’t she think that maybe the sound downstairs is the killer?”

“Sssh, you’re the one who wanted me to read you a story so I picked the book off the top of the to be read pile,” Riza kissed the top of his head. She was really starting to enjoy this, him resting between her legs with nowhere to hurry off to. While not sexual, it was still intimate, and she could get very used to it. That frightened her a little because it made her want to just resign and move into a new phase of life with Roy. It was far too dangerous. Roy needed her more to watch his back then to warm his bed. Stealing time like this was dangerous but worth it.

“Yes, but I didn’t know that it would be a mystery.” 

“Were you hoping for a stormy romance?” Riza laughed at his disappointed expression.

“Of course.”

“You don’t need any additional stimulation.”

“Is that a condemnation?” He pouted. The damn man knew what that did to her.

“That’s me being hopeful.” She grinned.

His eyes brightened. “Ah well, then.” Roy snagged the book out of her hands, tossing it on the bed stand. He pressed his lips against her belly. From there, he proved his own imagination on the romance subject would make him a top notch author.

XXX

“I hope I didn’t call you too early, Flame,” Major Armstrong boomed into the phone, but Sciezka ignored him the best she could. Her ability to shut out the world and read came in handy sometimes, but it wasn’t tremendously interesting to read one letter after another. It was part of her job to make sure the information got divvied up to the investigators in the most efficient manner because not every piece came in with a designation, especially if it came from outside the military. “Yes, we have the package and it’s safe. I’m looking at it right now. Shall I have it sent over? All right then, I’ll keep my lunch time open and you can pick them up at that time. It will be nice to talk to you for a while.” He hung up then said, “Sciezka, I need to step out for a moment.”

“All right, Major. I can man the phones for you,” she said. Usually that duty fell to Sergeant Austen, but she was out sick.

“That won’t be necessary. Sergeant Clotworthy can do that. I’ll need your assistance with another matter later, so why don’t you take an early lunch?”

“Thanks, I will,” Sciezka replied, eager to exchange what she was reading here – a laundry list of names sent in by someone known only as the Madam – for a fresh new book. The major headed out while Sciezka locked away the paperwork. She didn’t really know what those names were for, but the investigators would want them and certainly didn’t want random eyes on them.

As Sciezka got up, she spotted a stack of books on top of Major Armstrong’s file cabinet. She picked up one of them. It wasn’t military, which was good. Military history wasn’t high on her list of fun reading. These books were old and reminded her of some of the things she had seen while working at Central Library – she still missed that job sometimes. The top book reminded her of Dr. Marcoh’s recipe books that the Elric brothers said was alchemy. That would make sense if these were the major’s books.

He was such a nice man. He wouldn’t mind if she borrowed them for a day or two. Scizeka packed them in her bag and carried them off to lunch at her nearby home. She’d talk to the major about them later. She couldn’t wait to start reading them.

XXX

“What do you mean the books are missing?” Edward barked, dragging the attention of several nearby patrons of the restaurant Roy and Alex Louis had agreed on. Roy understood the sentiment. Who the hell broke into the Investigations unit of the military and stole something that was worthless to most people?

Alex Louis’s mustache ruffled as the man huffed. “I do not know how it happened. They were there when I went to report to Lieutenant Colonel Ellington, but they were gone when I got back. Don’t worry, Edward Elric, we will find them. Have no fear.”

“This isn’t fear, it’s rage.” Ed took a huge bite out of his sandwich. Obviously rage wasn’t putting a damper on his appetite, not that Roy expected it would. Edward always blamed supporting Alphonse’s body for his big appetite, but it seemed to be the normal teenaged boy’s need to eat everyone out of house and home.

“We know you’ll do everything you can, sir,” Alphonse said more temperately. He tackled his ridiculous double order of lunch with gusto even bigger than Edward’s.

At this age, Roy had been losing weight. Hawkeye couldn’t afford food and they had gone without many nights. Then he ended up in the military with the worst food known to man and random assholes kept stealing the only things that might be edible. He scowled at the sudden remembrance of Maes. Roy sighed. “Whatever we can do to help, Alex Louis, let us know. From what Riza said, Tarr is ten kilos of crazy in a five kilo case, so I do not relish telling him we lost his books in the event we can’t find them again.”

“Of course. Some of my staff was out by the time I had to head for here, but I’ll be sure to enlist their help.”

“You could have told us the books were gone before we ordered,” Ed took another startlingly large bite then added while chewing, “We could have gone right out to look.”

“Don’t gulp your food, Edward. I doubt those books got far,” Roy said, earning himself a glare.

“Hell to that.”

“I’m sure Flame is right, Edward,” Alex Louis said. “We should not need your help. Didn’t Miss Rockbell accompany you and your brother here? You should be out enjoying her company. We can handle this.”

“I’m helping,” Edward growled. “I’ll make it up to Winry later.”

“Winry’s out with Riza and a couple of other ladies,” Alphonse said. “Clothes shopping, though I’m not sure their hearts were in it.”

“Lieutenant Hawkeye is a practical woman. Her companions may be more…frivolous,” Alex Louis ventured.

Roy snorted. They were out with some of his sisters. Frivolous and showy worked well. He did hope Riza would consent to at least one dress suitable for dancing. He had put a bug in Winry’s ear about that himself. Edward needed to take her out. In his experience, once a woman was well armed with an outfit bought especially for the occasion, the man had best consent to going to said occasion or be doomed to face her considerable wrath.

“Who cares about women’s clothes?” Ed asked with all the naivety of a man still new to the idea of having a girlfriend. He polished off the last bite of sandwich. “I’m done. Al, you’ll just slow me down on those crutches. You can go back to the hotel. Come on, Major, let’s go.” He popped up, giving Armstrong an expectant look.

“Let the man eat, Edward.”

“I can just get started on my own then,” Edward said, turning from the table.

“You’re not Fullmetal any more, as you so love to remind me, Edward. You can’t just waltz onto a military base whenever you want,” Roy said. “I suppose you could start at the front gate and ask around if anyone saw someone leaving with an armload of books.”  
Edward glowered but nodded. “Fine, I’ll go do that. I’ll meet up with you there _soon_ , Major,” he said as if he had some direct effect on that. He didn’t wait for an answer.

Roy glanced over at Alphonse who wore an apologetic look on his face. “I noticed that your brother left you, with me no less.” 

 

Alphonse snorted. “Brother fusses at you and you trying to take care of me because you’re you, sir.” He shrugged. “Really, Ed trusts you. Besides, even though he likes to pretend I can’t do anything on my own right now, I can, in fact, hail a cab if you decide to go look for the books with Ed.”

“I have no doubt of that. You know I could drive you back to the hotel, though most of the livelier company is probably out shopping,” Roy said and Alphonse blushed. “Of course, the Madam should be around.”

“No, that’s all right. I might be able to help. It’s not all going to be running a thief to ground even though I think Ed’s hoping it might be. I think he’s getting a little bored.”

“I’m sure it’s been a big adjustment to this new phase in his life,” Roy agreed then turned to Armstrong. “You said not all of your men were around when you got back from lunch. That means you have a few to talk to.”

He nodded, his blond forelock flopping. “Sergeant Austen is out today, but Lieutenant Thurman was still out to lunch as was Sciezka.”

“Wait? Sciezka?” Al’s eyes brightened. “Is she still working with you guys?”

“Isn’t she the one you guys set up with Maes?” Roy asked.

“Yes, Sciezka’s a reader” Al said, reaching for his crutches as if he planned to bound up and go after her.

“I remember that. She helped me go through things so I could back trace what Maes had discovered to find out what got him killed,” Roy said and his companion’s faces sobered. “You think she would have taken the books?”

“Well, not maliciously, no. She remembers everything she reads and she reads a lot. Brother and I found her half buried under books once and taking things and reading them on the job is what got her fired from the library,” Alphonse said. “If she saw the books, she might have borrowed them.”

“I did leave them on the file cabinet. I saw no reason to lock them away,” Armstrong replied. “I suppose we should head back to the office then and talk to her.”

“Let me settle the bill and Strongarm, let’s go through the back gate.” Roy said, unable to hold back a grin.

The huge alchemist gave him a peculiar look. “Is there need for subterfuge I was unaware of, sir?”

“No, but Edward will be out front interrogating random strangers. Let that keep him busy for a while and out of my hair.” 

“Sir, that’s mean.” Alphonse chided, but Roy saw the smirk on his face.

“That’s what he gets for waking me up far too early in the morning,” Roy huffed.

“Please tell me he didn’t go to your room and knock to demand you check on if the books had made it to Mr. Armstrong,” Alphonse groaned.

“No. All I know is my peace was disturbed by screams of ‘automail junkie!’ and ‘alchemy freak!’ And I was having a really good…dream, if you know what I mean,” Roy said, editing himself. Armstrong didn’t know – nor should he – about Roy’s current relationship with Riza. 

“Oh, that. You get used to that.” Al waved him off. “That’s a constant.”

“You get used to it, Alphonse. Next time, I’m raiding the store of gags in the attic.” Roy waved over the waitress, leaving Alphonse laughing. “Now, let’s go see if we can track down those books.”


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

 

“This is what I was afraid of.” Riza sighed, leaning back in her chair in Chris Mustang’s second floor library. When she had been younger, the first time she had met Roy’s aunt, she had been shocked to learn the woman was a reader. Of course, back then, Chris was sleeker and sexier and seemed more interested in cracking a man’s secrets than the spine of a book. Riza had been only half right in that assessment. Chris liked to do both. 

Winry laughed. “I expected this, too.” She waved a hand to the large table that the brothers and Roy were huddled over, all three of them nose down in the books they had rescued from Sciezka. “They’ve been at it for hours and knowing Ed and Al, they’ll be here all night.”

“Roy, too.” Riza nodded. “Every alchemist I’ve known has been like this.”

“Crazy?” Winry grinned and it was Riza’s turn to laugh.

“Yes, very much so. There must be something in how their brains are wired. They understand all the mysteries of the world except for the ones that say food, drink and sleep are necessary time to time. To this day, I wonder, did my father know just how sick he was before he died, or if it was something he shoved to the back of his mind along with dinner time and bed time?”

“He was sick?” Winry shot her a curious look.

“Very. He died. It was lung cancer. I keep telling Havoc that smoking did in my father.” Riza said. “It was a long time ago now, but he was like this, too, even more so in some ways.” She didn’t really feel like telling Winry that her father had hidden from life in his alchemy library. Edward and Alphonse weren’t like her father. Her mother’s death had cut him off from life and even his daughter hadn’t been enough to anchor him. That and the flame alchemy haunted him. Too bad she had been too young when he died to understand that. She would never have given her father’s handsome, idealistic young apprentice her father’s secrets had she understood the cost.

Winry nodded knowingly. “I’m not even sure what fascination this has for Edward any more. He can’t use alchemy. I know he’s speculating that maybe he could use Xingese alkahestry since it’s so different, so that means sooner rather than later, he’s going to go pay Ling a visit. They’d probably be gone already if Al hadn’t broken his ankle.” She sighed. “I know he’ll come back, but it’s not fun having him gone all the time.”

“Tell him that, though once you start sitting for your journeyman tests you might want an empty house. Bored men usually expect their girlfriends to entertain them. That was hard when Hughes was sent to Central while Roy was in the East. Roy had no friends to run around with and the excuse ‘I’m doing something right now’ doesn’t seem to sink into a man’s head, at least not any man I’ve known.” Riza’s attention got dragged back to the table as they started arguing over some point in the oldest of books which was one none of them had seen before. At least one book was a copy of something the brothers had let burn in their house

“You have a point. Of course, if he waits for a while, I could take a vacation in Xing myself. That could be fun,” Winry said, brightly.

“I would envy that trip. I know Roy would like to go some day. His mother was from there, but he’s never had the chance to go.”

“Are they still at it?” Chris asked, coming into the room with Lilirose.

“They’ve been ignoring us for at least an hour now. I’m not even sure they know we’re here,” Winry replied. “We might as well go do something else.”

“Boys, there is a group of naked women here that are ready to make your fantasies come true,” Chris called out.

No one paid her any mind. Roy glanced up momentarily, looking around like a wary woodchuck, then dived back into arguing with Edward over some whorl in the pattern they were studying.

“Wow, they’re gone,” Lilirose laughed.

“Roy boy’s been like this since he was a tot. I gave him one of his mother’s alkahestry books and he was gone. You couldn’t pry it out of his little fingers. He’ll be worthless until he finally tires himself out. Miss Rockbell is right, go do something. I have a standing room at the Zimmern. It caters to world food and music and we can start the night with a massage,” Chris said and Riza needed no more convincing. Zimmern was out of her budget, but Chris paid for her girls to go. Riza didn’t mind being a ‘sister’ for this occasion.

“We can even request all male servers,” Lilirose sweetened the pot. “They have such cute ones.”

“That sounds like fun. How much does it cost?” Winry asked.

“My treat,” Chris said, waving the girl toward the door. “Sorry boys, your fantasy women are going to find their fun elsewhere.”

When they were in the hall, Riza heard Roy ask “Did you hear something?” Well, at least something almost penetrated his little alchemy shield. She was content to let him have his fun. She’d be there after he tired himself out. For now, she could pass on a few tips to Winry about how to survive living with an alchemist and didn’t doubt the girl had a few ideas of her own.

XXX

Roy let himself into the bedroom, trying to look livelier than he felt. How it got to be nearly midnight, he didn’t know. He could have sworn it was afternoon and he and the brothers had just started in on the books. At least the light was still on so he wouldn’t be disturbing Riza. She was in bed, reading. She cocked an eyebrow up upon seeing him. 

“What? You didn’t think I’d remember I have a beautiful woman waiting on me?”

“Past experience says yes, you’d forget all about me while you go poking through musty alchemy tomes for some germ of new information,” she said, looking back down at her own book.

“I’m smart. I learn from my mistakes.” Roy grinned, bouncing onto the bed. He took the book out of her hands and popped the mark into it. “Want to see?”

“After how you ignored everyone’s attempts today, it had better be good,” Riza replied but she grinned. He knew she wasn’t actually too mad at him.

“You knew this would be the result of getting those books,” he replied, taking her hands.

“I did and I plan to put a call in to Mr. Tarr tomorrow to ask if two State Alchemists could buy the books from him. He doesn’t need to know Edward has resigned. I think that might impress him a little. He isn’t an alchemist anyhow.”

Roy kissed her. “That is a very good idea.”

“I know. Now, you mentioned something about making it up to me.” She trailed her fingers along his neck.

Roy fished the book off the mattress and tossed it onto the bed stand. “Where to begin? I think I know. Be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Exactly where would I go?” she laughed as he headed into the walk-in closet. 

“Nowhere. You like this view too much.” Roy posed against the closet door frame, letting her get a good look at his backside. Did she just stifle a laugh? Well, he was asking for it. He fished out the toy chest his aunt had stocked for various guests. He had put in a list of what he wanted, included which was more than a little embarrassing but less so than General Mustang getting caught at a shop that sold the stuff. He bypassed the soft cuffs and long curling feather. Riza could play with those one a day where they had more time for her to do to him what she wanted. For quicker play, given the hour of night, Roy found something perfect.

He took the repurposed confectionary treat of powdered sugar infused with vanilla. He displayed the jar to her, noticing Riza had the condom tin out on the bed stand. Better yet, her nightgown was gone. She was glorious enough to almost make him believe in God.

Riza smirked. “You do have a food fetish and have the gall to mock Edward for his.”

“That’s because he’s as orally fixated as Havoc but at least he chooses phallic-shaped foods instead of stinky cigarettes. Just don’t point it out to Edward, or you will be there for hours getting your head chewed off.”

Riza snorted, taking the jar from him. She set it aside so she could grab his shirt. Her deft fingers made short work of the buttons and she raked the shirt off his body. Riza palmed the erection tenting his trousers before picking up the jar. While he fought his way out of his pants and shoes, she dusted her breasts with the flavored sugar.

Getting on the bed with her, he kissed her, moving the kisses from her mouth, down over her neck, trying to ignore the scar, still pink and noticeable in spite of Mei’s alkahestry. His tongue followed the trail of sweet powder over her breasts, sucking and teasing as he went. Riza’s hand curled around his cock, slowly moving up and down over it, fingers sweeping over the tip as she went. She was going to make him half-crazy right off.

Her hands abandoned his hard flesh, encircling his neck, pulling him closer to her. Roy ran his hands down her sides, feeling her toned muscles tempered by the softness of her skin. Riza caught one of his hands, bringing it to her lips to kiss the scarred palm. His skin quivered at the touch.

Roy sat back, reaching for the condom. Her lips met his again as he tugged the thing into place then she pulled him back against the mattress. Sinking into her, Roy picked a leisurely pace. Well acquainted with each other, their bodies moved together like a precision waltz. He wanted nights like this to be theirs always without fear of reprisal, but the bittersweet touch faded as lust buried it.

He took her to the edge before picking up his pace. Riza shuddered against him, moaning as she tumbled over that edge. His hips pumped quicker as his need built. The release always left him deliciously dazed. Riza’s mouth devoured his before his senses returned. Gathering enough wit to dump the condom in the bed side trash to deal with later, Roy wrapped his arms around her.

“I am never going to let you go,” he whispered.

“I’ve never doubted it.”

Roy knew that soon enough they’d have more to worry about than missing alchemy books and more to do than spend loving moments like this. But those hard times could wait. This was their time and it wasn’t over quite yet. One day, hopefully soon, it would always be their time. Until then, he would dedicate himself to carving out the best future for them that he could. Content with that, Roy lost himself her arms, safe in the moment.


End file.
